1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to systems for pyrolyzing (thermally decomposing) and/or vaporizing liquid (in solution, suspension or colloidal form) and solid (in aerosol or powder form) form of biological and chemical threat agents in a manner that the evolved vapor may be introduced into Gas-Chromatography systems, vapor detection systems, and Solid Phase Micro Extraction (SPME) systems, without the use of any reagents and/or bottled gases, for analysis of the evolved vapors and detection, classification and/or identification characteristics of the analyzed threat agent.
2. Brief Description of Related Art
The threat of biological and chemical threat agent attacks looms large in the world today. The first step in meeting this threat is the ability to detect the release of biological and chemical threat agents. Early detection and counter measures have become a high priority in many military, government and private laboratories. Many chemical warfare (CW) and biological warfare (BW) agents are difficult to detect using conventional staining techniques. Consequently, various other approaches have been developed such as Pyrolysis/Mass Spectrometry and Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography-Ion Mobility Spectrometry (Py-GC/IMS).
Pyrolysis is a form of thermally driven process that chemically decomposes organic materials by heat. Pyrolysis typically occurs under pressure and at operating temperatures above 430° C. (800° F.). Large organic molecules are decomposed into smaller molecular weight moieties occasionally leaving a solid residue containing carbon and ash. Pyrolysis is widely used for waste disposal, and is becoming a viable way of characterizing organic threat agents as well. For example, the Block II Chemical Biological Mass Spectrometer (CBMS) is a developmental instrument for point detection that integrates the detection and identification of both CW and BW agents into a single compact unit. It is based upon a direct-sampling ion trap mass spectrometer. After collection of a sample, a pyrolyzer body heater is heated to pyrolize the sample. K. J. Hart, M. B. Wise, W. H. Griest, and S. A. Lammert, “Design, Development and Performance of a Fieldable Chemical & Biological Agent Detector,” Field Analytical Chemistry and Technology, 4 (22-3), 93-110 (2000). However, this and other commercially available Chemical Biological Mass detectors are capable only of detecting CW and BW agents in vapor samples. It would be far more advantageous to add the capability of detecting CW/BW agents in liquids and solids as well, thereby providing a universal threat analysis system suitable for use with solids, aerosols, liquid solutions, liquid suspensions, liquid colloids, mists and vapors. A fully-functioning field-able thermal analyses based sample-processing system for these multiple sample forms would greatly increase the versatility and market-based demand, especially for the purpose of chemical and biological threat assessment.